The Mona Lisa


See adjacent text.
See adjacent text.


This is the Mona Lisa painting.


The Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait of a woman by the Italian artist, Leonardo Da Vinci, which has been acclaimed as "the best known." The woman in the painting is said to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco Del Giocondo, is in oil on white lombardy poplar panel. The dimensions of the Mona Lisa are 2 ft, 6 inches by 1 ft, 9 inches (or 77 cm by 53 cm). The frame that the Mona Lisa was in was made out of oak, but was then put in a maple frame because it was infected with insects. Eventually a metal crosspiece was added for scientific measurementts.


Interesting Facts

  • The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows except for one hair
  • It is the most ironic painting in the world and is owned by the French government
  • Leonardo Da Vinci started the painting in 1503, and it took about four years to paint
  • The Mona Lisa is considered priceless so it cannot be insured
  • The identity of the woman in the painting is still a mystery
  • In 1956, a man named Ugo Ungaza threw a rock at the painting, which resulted in a small patch of damaged paint next to her left elbow.
  • The original name of the painting is Monna Lisa, it was a common italian shortening of Madonna, meaning "my lady". The most recognized name of this painting now is because of a spelling error.